Scholars and policy makers have expressed concern that social and economic changes occurring throughout Asia are threatening the wellbeing of older adults by undercutting their systems of family support. Using a sample of 1,654 men and women aged 45 and above from the Chitwan Valley Family Study in Nepal, we evaluated the relationship between individuals' non-family experiences, such as education, travel and non-family living, and their likelihood of receiving personal care in older adulthood. Overall, we found that among individuals in poor health, those who had received more education, travelled to the capital city, or lived away from their families were less likely to have received personal care in the previous two weeks than adults who had not had these experiences. Our findings provide evidence that although familial connections remain strong in Nepal, experiences in new non-family social contexts are tied to lower levels of care receipt.
